California Apparel News

Austrian textile firm Lenzing and South Korea’s Hyosung fabrics are partnering on a new collection that brings greater comfort through more options in activewear and intimate apparel manufactured through a process that reduces the impact on the environment. The new collection combines Lenzing’s Tencel Modal and Hyosung’s Creora elastane.

Fabrics from the collection will be promoted for the Spring/Summer 2020 market and unveiled at ISPO (the International Trade Fair for Sports Equipment and Fashion) Munich 2019, the German edition of the global trade-show brand that caters to the sportswear business. The show will be held at Messe München Feb. 3–6.

“This Lenzing and Hyosung collaboration fits perfectly under the slogan ‘Better Together,’” said Andreas Guertler, Lenzing’s head of active and outdoor global business development. “The combination of natural softness, comfort and performance from Tencel and the power, fit and recovery of Creora elastane allows us to offer customers new products for sports and leisure clothing with unrivaled sustainable credentials.”

The joint venture will not only afford more comfort to activewear consumers but will also ensure clothing made with the new fabrics will provide high-performance qualities through a sustainably produced product.

“We are delighted to partner with Lenzing with this innovative fabric collection to deliver enhanced performance with products that use less energy and water and offer the improved environmental care today’s informed consumers demand,” said Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) marketing director for Hyosung’s performance-textiles business, in a statement.

Through the collaboration, Lenzing is introducing new versions of three of its products using Creora: Lenzing Ecovero with Creora Eco-soft, Tencel Modal and Creora PowerFit, and Tencel Modal Black and Creora Black.

The Lenzing Ecovero viscose enhanced with Creora’s Eco-soft yields a softer hand to the viscose fibers as the elastane is able to overcome the limitations of low-heat-settable properties that manufacturers encounter with certain synthetic fibers. It also allows apparel manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions through lower heat finishing while providing greater durability by reducing shrinkage, improving shape, retaining color and maintaining the brightness of white fibers.

“Lenzing’s Tencel Modal Black fibers with Hyosung’s Creora Black elastane and Lenzing’s latest fiber technology, Ecovero, with Hyosung’s Creora Eco-soft elastane lead to a perfect sustainable combination, together offering natural softness, comfort and performance from Tencel and the PowerFit and recovery of Creora elastane,” Guertler said.

With the introduction of Tencel Modal and Creora PowerFit, the companies are creating a new option for active-apparel makers that will afford high-performance pieces that are more durable. A Tencel Modal created with Creora PowerFit spandex yields apparel that is more resistant to heat—allowing it to maintain its shape—but creates a fabric that is soft with the cooling and drying properties that are popular with consumers who shop the activewear category. The new offering also brings to market a product with greater color fastness, improved ability for redyeing and chlorine resistance.

By introducing Tencel Modal Black and Creora Black, Lenzing and Hyosung are offering a solution to the “grin-through” problem, which has often plagued the activewear segment of the industry. The new product will afford the comfort of Tencel Modal with a color depth that will leave black garments darker longer.

“Tencel Modal Black and Creora Black lead to a deeper black and softer touch while using less energy and water,” Guertler explained. “Lenzing Ecovero with Creora Eco-soft offers a softer touch and whiter whites at a lower heat setting for reduced energy consumption. Tencel Modal and Creora PowerFit stand for superior shaping, compression and a natural feel.”

Growing interest in ecologically responsible apparel among activewear consumers is a major driving force for major fabric manufacturers to develop new solutions. By working together on these enhanced fabrics, Lenzing and Hyosung are able to create new sourcing solutions to meet the needs of their clients and expand business to other clothing manufacturers, especially those who make undergarments and active apparel.

“Collaboration is the way forward as the textile industry seeks creative performance solutions throughout the value chain to meet changing market dynamics,” Whitmarsh-Knight said. “This is just the start of our cooperation with our friends at Lenzing.”